HAZEL

The aim is to capture one of your opponent’s five-stroke pieces. The first player to do so wins. Winter moves first. Pieces normally move one square orthogonally. One-stroke pieces may also move one square diagonally. To attack, add the attacking piece’s number of strokes to those of every friendly piece orthogonally adjacent to the target. Diagonal neighbours do not contribute. If the total is greater than the defender’s, remove the defender. If equal, remove both attacker and defender. If lower, the attack is illegal. Only three-stroke pieces may enter the central Pool. Two- and four-stroke pieces may jump across the Pool or over any single piece to a legal square beyond. The jumped piece remains in place. A jumping attack is calculated normally. A five-stroke piece cannot normally attack another five-stroke piece on its own. Otherwise, an attack totalling five or more captures a five. If the total is exactly five, both the attacker and defender are removed, but capturing the opposing five still wins the game. If only the four five-stroke pieces remain, play continues. A single five may now attack another five: both are removed and the game is drawn. A supported attack totalling more than five captures the opposing five and wins. A player with no legal move loses.